Essential Travel Documents: A Quick List for Every Traveler

Essential Travel Documents: A Quick List for Every Traveler

Traveling to a new country for the first time is always a thrill. Most tourists plan for months in advance. They work out their itinerary from departure to return making sure they have all the tourist hotspots mapped out and scheduled. Hotel bookings are another priority and travelers browse online forums and review sites to find the right location for their stay. However, many people don’t pay attention to their travel documents. In many instances, it is the last thing on their mind hastily grabbed on the way out the door. We suggest that a little more importance is given to these documents. They could end up saving you a lot of headaches when you travel abroad or domestically. Here is our list of the must-have documents for your next trip. 

Government Issued Identification

The most important document that you should have with you is an official Identification. In most cases, this will be your driver’s license or Passport for international travel. Some experts advise travelers to carry their birth certificate also in case they lose IDs and need to prove their citizenship. If you have served in the armed forces then having your U.S. Military ID is also a good idea.

Visa and Green Card

When going to a new country it is always important to have the correct visas in place. This makes entering and leaving foreign countries smooth and easy. When coming back to the United States, permanent residents should have their Green Card ready or other visa documents on their person to present to immigration officials.

Credit Card and Copies of Credit Card

With credit card scams becoming a global issue, some airlines in certain countries will request that passengers show the credit card or proof that the ticket was purchased properly. Carrying a copy of the credit card or the actual card itself can be very helpful in these situations.

Travel Itinerary

Remembering the details for even a single flight can be troublesome. Imagine having to keep details of multiple international flights with connecting flights in your memory. The best approach to avoid forgetting any detail is to keep a photocopy of your itinerary with you along with a digital copy on your mobile device.

Travel Insurance

Many travel insurance documents are quite long and lugging around the pages may be a hassle. However, having this information on hand can be very useful when in a tough spot. Insurance providers may also have digital versions of the document for you to keep in your email or phone. This way you don’t have to keep bulky documents in your luggage but have the details you need anywhere you travel.  Also, make sure to have the contact information of your travel insurance provider on hand so that you can call them in a pinch.

Copies of All Documents

One final tip is to make sure you have photocopies of all your travel documents. Keep these separate from your original documents so that if one set gets lost, you have a backup in place. Another recommendation is to keep a digital copy of these documents on your phone. To be even safer, save the documents to your email or a digital dropbox so that you can access it from anywhere, even if you don’t have your phone.